Value and entertainment in area tour

June 22, 2013

HARPERS FERRY - Carson Beyer, 11, gave his mother, Jodi, a high five Friday morning after correctly answering a Civil War question while touring historic Harpers Ferry.

The young Wisconsin resident is an avid Civil War history fan, according to his father, Clint. Carson was joined by his sister, Caylee, on the tour as well. The Beyer family traveled 13 hours for their summer vacation, making a stop in Gettysburg, and plans to continue into Maryland and Virginia.

"Carson got into the Civil War watching the movie 'Gettysburg,'" Clint Beyer said. "We've been doing a bunch of research and reading over the years."

Article Photos

Journal photo by Rachel Molenda

Clint Beyer, Caylee Beyer, Jodi Beyer and Carson Beyer, laugh Friday during a tour of historic Harpers Ferry with Rick Garland. The family drove 13 hours for their summer vacation and plans to visit many other Civil War sites throughout the week.

Instead of doing a self-guided tour of the Harpers Ferry area, the Beyers opted for a private one, led by Rick Garland, owner of O' Be Joyfull - a historical tour and entertainment company.

"We really wanted to have somebody tell us about it and walk and see, instead of us just fumbling around," Beyer said.

Garland has been giving tours in Harpers Ferry for seven years now, he said. The tour, which spans the length of three hours, is an overview, "from soup to nuts," of Harpers Ferry from colonial times to the present day, Garland said.

What once was a side interest for Garland turned into a business venture once he discovered people appreciated his storytelling abilities. Garland began by playing old-time music in Gettysburg, but also performed in Harpers Ferry frequently. It wasn't long before he became a permanent fixture in the town.

"Several of the people down here, including the mayor at the time, invited me to bring my business down here where they had no tour guides and no old-time music," Garland said.

Garland has adapted his tour over the years to highlight certain times, and this week was no different. With West Virginia's sesquicentennial upon the state, Garland said he would spend more time discussing how it came to be.

While Garland said he is always making strides to do more research, he doesn't know how much more he could fit into the lengthy expedition.

"It's to a point now where I don't want to pick up another book, because how am I going to add more?" Garland said.

The Beyers, who weren't shy to interact with Garland during their tour, wanted their trip to be well worth the travel, Jodi Beyer said.

"We (wanted) quality," Jodi Beyer said. "It took us a long time to get here, so we want to have the best experience we can."